Drilling, core cutting and dislodging head for mining machines



DRILLING. CORE CUTTING AND DISLODGING HEAD FOR MINING MACHINES Original Filed Jan. 31, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORZ Nov. 20, 1962 F. OSGOOD DRILLING. CORE CUTTING AND DISLODGING HEAD FOR MINING MACHINES Original Filed Jan. 51, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Nov. 20, 1962 c. F. OSGOOD DRILLING. co D DISLODGING CHINES RE CUTTING AN EAD FOR MINING MA 8 Original Filed Jan. 31,

United States Patent Office 3,%4,958 Patented Nov. 20, 1952 3,064,958 DRILLING, CORE CUTTING AND DlFaLOBGlNG HEAD F-SR MHNENG MAtIHiNES Charles F. Osgood, Franklin, Pa, assignor to Joy lvlillll factoring Company, Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Continuation of application Ser. No. 712,524, Jan. 31, 1958. This application ept. 27, 1960, Ser. No. 58,847

14 Claims, (Cl, 262-9) This invention relates to mining machines and more particularly to a drilling, core cutting and dislodging head for a continuous mining machine especially designed for dislodging mineral such as coal from a solid mine vein.

This application is a continuation of my copending application Serial No. 712,524, now abandoned, which was filed January 31, 1958.

In the continuous mining of mineral such as coal from the solid there are three types of dislodging mechanisms in common use, namely the ripping head mechanism, the

boring head mechanism and the core cutting and dislodging head mechanism. In dislodging heads of the latter type the mine vein is first penetrated with a rotary boring action and thereafter a slot is cut inside of and parallel with .the face to form a core of mineral and the mineral core is dislodged from the face as mining progresses, and it has been found that the latter type of dislodging head, due to the elimination of usual ripping or rotary boring operations, tends to reduce the quantity of relatively small cuttings or fines. By the formation of cores by making relatively narrow cuts and dislodging the cores in relatively large fragments by means of core breakers not only is the power consumed substantially reduced but also a more salable produet results. The present invention contemplates improvements in a known type of drilling, core cutting and dislodging head whereby the relatively high production of salable mineral is attained.

An object 'of the present invention is to provide an improved rotary drilling and dislodging head mechanism for a mining machine. Another object is to provide an improved drilling, eore cutting and dislodging head mechanism for a continuous mining machine. A further object is to provide an improved multiple drilling and cutting head for forming a series of slots or cuts inside the face of a mine vein to provide a plurality of cores of mineral and having associated core breaker means for dislodging the cores as cutting progresses. Yet another object is to provide an improved axial drill head having a series of relatively rotatable coaxial drilling cutters. A further object is to provide a multiple drilling and core cutting head having a plurality of relatively rotatable core breakers arranged in coaxial relation with and rearwardly of the multiple drilling cutters. Still another object is to provide a multiple drilling and core cutting head having a series of coaxial relatively rotatable drilling and slot cutters of gradually increasing diameters. A further object is to provide an improved supporting and driving means for a multiple drilling, core cutting and dislodging head. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings there are shown for purposes of illustration one embodiment and several modifications thereof which the invention may assume in practice.

he d a n s FIG. 1 is a plan view of a continuous miner in which a preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention is incorporated.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the miner shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical axial section taken 2 through the improved drilling, core cutting and dislodging head of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a front end view of the head shown in FIG. 3.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are cross sectional views taken respectively on lines 5-5 and 6-6 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a drilling, core cutting and dislodging head of a modified design.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the inner modified supporting tube construction.

In the illustartive construction shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 inclusive the improved drilling, core cutting and dislodging head mechanism is generally designated 1 and is embodied in a continuous miner generally designated 2 which may be of the same general type as that disclosed in the A. Lee Barrett Patent No. 2,776,809, granted January 8, 1957, owned by the same assignee as the present invention.

The continuous miner generally comprises a mobile base 3, desirably a crawler base, having a frame 4 and side crawler treads 5 driven by motors 6. Carried by the forward portion of the base frame is a turntable 7 swivelled to turn about a vertical axis at 8 and having conventional rotating means. Pivotally mounted at 9 on the turntable on a horizontal pivot is an elongated boom frame 10 and a conventional hydraulic jack 11 is employed for swinging the boom frame in vertical planes relative to the base. A gathering or loading head '12 serves to gather the loose' mineral dislodged from the mine vein and to move the mineral so gathered onto a conventional conveying means 13 extending rearwardly lengthwise of the base. Motors 14 on the turntable serve to drive the head mechanism, as later more fully explained.

Now referring to the structure of the head mechanism per se, it will be noted that, for illustrative purposes, a series of abutting ringlike plates, later referred to, are shown rigidly secured as by elongated bolts or rods 15 to the outerend of the boomlike frame 10 in coaxial relation therewith and extending axially within the boom frame and through the plates is a drive shaft 16 suitably operatively connected to the motors 14 for driving thereby. The series of plates comprise a rear plate 17 seated on a circular projection 18 of the boom frame and abutting this end plate is a ring 19 having a circular forward projection 20 seated within a circular flange 21 on an abutting plate 22. Five sets of the plates or rings 19, 22 are provided and the front or outer plate 22 is engaged by an outer end plate 23 supporting a bearing 24- in which the hub 25 of a drill head frame 26 is journaled. A simi: lar bearing 24 is supported within the front end of the boom frame and in which the shaft 16 is journaled. Secured as by screws 27 to the drill head frame is a curved front end plate 28 and the drill head frame and end plate carry supports 23 for cutter bits or teeth 39. Journaled on suitable bearings 31 surrounding certain of the ringlike plates are cylindric drilling and cutting wheels 32 comprising a relatively small front wheel 33,'a larger intermediate wheel 34 and a still larger rear wheel 35 and arranged rearwardly of each of these wheels are rotary core breakers or dislodging drums 36, 37 and 33 of increasingly larger diameters. The drilling and cutting wheels and the breaker drums are driven at relatively different speeds and the driving means therefor comprise a series of spur pinions 3? keyed to the splined forward extension 40 of the drive shaft 16 and additional spur pinions 41 likewise keyed to the splined portion of the shaft. The three spur pinions 39 respectively drive the breaker drums 36, 3'7 and 38 while the three spur pinions 41 respectively drive the drilling and cutting Wheels 33, 34 and 35. The spur pinions 39 mesh with and drive gears 42 which in turn mesh with and drive internal gears 43 formed on the respective breaker drums. The gears 41 are substantially larger than the gears 39 and drive through intermediate gears 44 internal gears 45 secured to the hubs of the cutter wheels 33, 34 and 35 respectively to drive the latter at a speed substantially greater than the speed of rotation of the breaker drums 36, 37 and 38. The gears 42 and 44 are journaled on bearings 46 mounted on shafts 47 suitably supported within certain of the ringlike plates 17, 19, 22 and 23, as shown in FIG. 3. The multiple drilling and cutting wheels are driven at relatively high drilling and cutting speeds from the shaft 16 through the gearings 41, 44 and 45 while the multiple breaker drums are driven at a relatively slow core breaking speed likewise from the shaft 16 through the gearings 39, 42 and 43. Evidently, if desired, the drilling and cutting wheels and the front drilling head may be driven at relatively different predetermined speeds as also may the core breaker drums to compensate for their different diameters and, as shown in FIG. 3, the three gears 41 are of relatively different size and the gears 39 may be similarly constructed, for this purpose.

The cutter wheels carry cutter bits or teeth 48 while the breaker drums carry breaker bits or teeth 49 (see FIGS. and 6), and the outer tip ends of the teeth 48 and 49 may lie substantially within concentric frusto-conical surfaces of revolution. The cutter wheels not only have peripheral teeth but also forwardly facing teeth whereby they may both drill and cut laterally.

In the modified design shown in FIG. 7 the two rearward drilling and cutting wheels 34 and 35 and the rotary breaker drums 36, 37 and 38 are similar to those above described. In this instance, however, the front drilling head is eliminated and a relatively narrow front disklike drilling and cutting wheel 50 has been substituted for the drilling and cutting wheel 33. The relatively small front wheel 50 has a conical front face 51 carrying cutters or teeth 52. Thus after the drilling, core cutting and dislodging head of this modification has been sumped axially into the mine vein it may be moved laterally so that not only the wheels 34 and 35 cut narrow slots but also does the narrow front wheel 50 thereby further to reduce the amount of cuttings or fines. In this instance the teeth of the breaker wheels may lie in a frusto-conical surface of revolution located within and concentric with the surface of revolution in which the outer tips of the teeth of the cutter wheels lie so that slots of substantially greater depth may be formed in the mineral to provide relatively large cores prior to the dislodgment of the latter. Otherwise this embodiment is similar to that above described.

While the rotating elements of the drilling, core cutting and dislodging head are shown mounted on the ringlike plates secured to the boom frame evidently, if desired, the boom frame may have a forward tubular portion extending within the bores of the ringlike plates, as shown at 52 in FIG. 8, to provide additional support for the latter and this tubular boom portion may be cut away at points along its length, at 53, to enable meshing engagement of the gears 39, 42, 41 and 44, all in an obvious manner.

The general mode of operation of the improved multiple drilling, core cutting and dislodging head mechanism is as follows: When the continuous miner is located near the working face of the mine vein the boom frame may be swung laterally and downwardly to locate the head mechanism at the left-hand rib near the floor level and then the miner may be advanced by its crawler base to sump the head mechanism into the mine vein with a rotary drilling or boring action. Upon completion of the axial sumping cut the boom frame may be swung horizontally by rotation of the turntable to move the head mechanism from left to right across the face. As the head mechanism is swung horizontally the cutter bits of the rotary cutting wheels cut parallel slots or kerfs S in the mineral to form cores of mineral C between the slots and the cores are dislodged by the teeth of the breaker drums. If desired the head mechanism may be sumped into the mine vein at the right-hand rib, swung horizontally from right to left to the left-hand rib. The boom frame It) may be swung upwardly to move the head mechanism to a different operating level and the head mechanism may then be sumped in with a boring action at the rib, swung horizontally across the face to the opposite rib to complete the superimposed cut. Evidently, vertical cuts as well as horizontal cuts may be made in the mine vein, if desired.

As a result of this invention an improved multiple drilling, core cutting and dislodging head is provided having a multiplicity of relatively moving live cutters and breakers whereby the mineral may be penetrated to a substantial depth and effectively dislodged from the vein. By the provision of the series of drilling and cutting wheels and associated core breakers a series of parallel cores may be formed inside the face and effectively broken away as mining progresses. By the arrangement of the drilling and cutting wheels and core breakers with the tip ends of the bits and teeth lying within frusto-conical surfaces of revolution plane cuts may be made across the face not only at the floor and roof levels but also at the ribs. These and other advantages of the invention will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

While there are in this application specifically described one form and several modifications which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form and the modifications of the same are shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be further modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A multiple drilling, core cutting and dislodging head mechanism having a front penetrating end and movable axially toward the working face to drill a hole in the mine vein and thereafter movable sidewise relative to the working face, said head mechanism comprising a series of axially spaced drilling and cutting wheels of relatively different diameters rotatable about aligned axes extending longitudinally toward the working face, said wheels each having peripheral and forwardly facing cutters and cooperating to drill a hole in the mineral of the vein as the head mechanism is moved axially, said drilling and cutting wheels becoming increasingly larger in diameter as they extend away from said penetrating end and as said head mechanism moves sidewise cutting parallel slots in the mine vein to form a series of spaced cores inside the working face, and rotatable core breakers coaxial with and respectively spaced axially rearwardly of said drilling and cutting wheels for dislodging the cores during sidewise movement of said head mechanism.

2. A multiple drilling, core cutting and dislodging head mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein gearings are provided within the head mechanism for driving said drilling and cutting wheels and said core breakers at relatively different speeds.

3. A multiple drilling, core cutting and dislodging head mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein the front and smallest of the drilling and cutting wheels has located in advance thereof and coaxially therewith a front end drilling nose of reduced size with said wheels becoming progressively larger in diameter rearwardly of said nose.

4. A multiple drilling, core cutting and dislodging head mechanism having a front penetrating end and movable axially to drill into the face of a mine vein and movable laterally relative to the working face during lateral cutting, said head mechanism comprising a series of axially spaced drilling and cutting wheels arranged in coaxial relation, said wheels each having peripheral and forwardly facing cutters, said drilling and cutting wheels becoming progressively larger in diameter rearwardly of the front penetrating end of the head mechanism and as said head mechanism moves axially cooperating to drill a hole in the mine vein and as said head mechanism moves sidewise cutting parallel slots in the mineral vein to form a series of spaced cores lying inside of the working face, and core breakers coaxial with and respectively spaced axially rearwardly of said drilling and cutting wheels for dislodging the cores as said head mechanism moves laterally.

5. A multiple drilling, core cutting and dislodging head mechanism as set forth in claim 4 wherein means is provided for driving said core breakers at a speed substantially slower than the speed of rotation of said cutting wheels.

6. A multiple drilling, core cutting and dislodging head mechanism as set forth in claim 4 wherein the tip ends of the cutters of said wheels and the teeth of said core breakers lie in a frusto-conical surface of revolution whose axis is aligned with the axes of saidcutters and breakers with its apex in advance of the penetrating end of the head mechanism.

7. A multiple drilling, core cutting and dislodging head mechanism having a front penetrating end and movable axially toward a working face to drill a hole in a mine vein and thereafter movable sidewise relative to the working face to core and dislodge the mineral, said head mechanism comprising a series of axially spaced drilling and cutting wheels of relatively different diameters rotatable about aligned axes extending longitudinally toward the working face, said drilling and cutting wheels becoming progressively larger in diameter rearwardly of said front penetrating end and as said head mechanism moves sidewise cutting slots in the mine vein to form a series of spaced cores inside the Working face, rotatable core breakers coaxial with and respectively spaced axially rearwardly of said drilling and cutting wheels for dislodging the cores, and driving means for said drilling and cutting wheels and said core breakers including means for driving said wheels at relatively different predetermined speeds so that the largest wheel rotates at a substantially slower angular speed than the smallest wheel.

8. A drilling, core cutting and dislodging head mechanism for continuously cutting and dislodging mineral from a solid face and movable axially toward the working face to drill into a mine vein and thereafter movable sidewise relative to the working face to effect its cutting and dislodging operation, comprising asupport, a head mounted on said support and projecting freely axially therefrom for axially penetrating and laterally dislodging the mineral, said head comprising a plurality of rotatable annuli arranged in axially spaced relation with their axes coincident with the longitudinal axis of said support, certain of said annuli carrying peripheral and face cutters and certain others of said annuli carrying breaker elements, said cutter carrying annuli becoming progressively larger in diameter rearwardly of the front cutter and cooperating to drill a hole in the mineral as the head mechanism i moved axially, the front cutter carrying annulus being in the form of a pilot drill for axially penetrating the mineral, a drive shaft extending longitudinally of said support along the head axis and journaled for rotation with respect to said annuli, geared reduction means between said shaft and said annuli carrying said cutters for driving the latter, and geared reduction means between said shaft and said annuli carrying said breaker elements for driving said latter annuli at predetermined speeds substantially different from the speeds of said cutter carrying annuli, said geared reduction means between said shaft and said annuli carrying said cutters including means for rotating said latter annuli at relatively different predetermined angular speeds, whereby the cutters carried thereby move orbitally about said longitudinal axis at substantiallv the same linear speed.

9. A drilling, core cutting and dislodging head mechanism for continuously cutting and dislodging mineral from a solid face and movable axially toward the working face to drill a hole in the mine vein and movable sidewise relative to the working face to effect its lateral cutting and dislodging operation, comprising a support, a head mounted on said support and projecting freely axially therefrom for axially penetrating and thereafter lateraliy cutting and dislodging the mineral, said head comprising a plurality of rotatable annuli arranged with their axes coincident with the longitudinal axis of said support, certain of said annuli carrying peripheral and front f aee cutters and cooperating to drill a hole in the mineral and certain others of said annuli carrying breaker elements, the front cutter being in the form of a pilot drill for axially penetrating the mineral, said annuli carrying said cutters being of relatively different diameters beeoming progressively larger in diameter rearwardly of said front eutter, a drive shaft extending longitudinally of said support along the head axis and journaled for rotation with respect to said annuli, geared reduction means between said shaft and said annuli carrying said cutters for driving the said cutter annuli at relatively difierent predetermined speeds, and geared reduction means between said shaft and said annuli carrying said breaker elements for driving the latter annuli at predetermined speeds substantially different from the speeds of said cutter carrying annuli, said geared reduction means between said shaft and said annuli carrying said cutters including means for driving said cutters at relatively different predetermined speeds so that the cutter of largest diameter rotates at an angular speed substantially slower than the angular speed of rotation of the cutter of smaller diameter.

10-. A drilling, core cutting and dislodging head mechanism as set forth in claim 9 wherein supporting means is axially attached to said support and extend freely forward within said annuli, and bearings are carried by said supporting means and on which said annuli are journaled, said front pilot drill cutter disposed in advance of the free end of said supporting means.

11. A mineral dislodging and disintegrating mechanism comprising, an elongated member having the rearward end thereof articulatably mounted on a movable support, a plurality of kerf cutters of rearwardly progressively larger orbital diameters mounted for rotation on said elongated member in spaced parallel planes with the cutter closely adjacent the forward end of said elongated member having the smallest orbital diameter, a plurality of core breakers of rearwardly progressively larger diameters mounted for rotation on said elongated member in spaced parallel planes with the core breaker of smallest diameter having a diameter smaller than and mounted rearwardly and closely adjacent the kerf cutter having the smallest orbital diameter, and said core breaker of largest diameter mounted immediately rearward of said kerf cutter of largest diameter, said kerf cutters including cutting elements having at least a certain portion thereof facing generally forwardly.

12. A mineral dislodging and disintegrating mechanism comprising, an elongated member having the rearward end thereof articulatably mounted on a movable support, a plurality of kerf cutters of rearwardly progressively larger orbital diameters mounted for rotation on said elongated member in spaced parallel planes with the cutter closely adjacent the forward end of said elongated member having the smallest orbital diameter, a plurality of core breakers of rearwardly progressively larger diameters mounted for rotation on said elongated member in spaced parallel planes with the core breaker of smallest diameter mount ed rearwardly and closely adjacent the kerf cutter having the smallest orbital diameter and said core breaker of largest diameter mounted immediately rearward of said kerf cutter of largest diameter, and each of said plurality of core breakers having mineral engaging means secured thereto lying in spaced parallel planes normal to the axis of said elongated member and having peripheral portions thereof describing rearwardly progressively larger orbits with the orbital diameter of said mineral eugaging means immediately adjacent said kerf cutters being of lesser diameter than the orbital diameter of said kerf cutters, said kerf cutters including cutting elements having at least a certain portion thereof facing generally forwardly.

13. A mineral dislodging and disintegrating mechanism comprising, an elongated member having the rearward end thereof articulatably mounted on a movable support, a plurality of kerf cutters having rearwardly progressively larger orbital diameters mounted for rotation on said elongated member in spaced parallel planes with the cuter closely adjacent the forward end of said elongated member having the smallest orbital diameter, a plurality of core breakers having rearwardly progressively larger diameters mounted for rotation on said elongated member in spaced parallel planes with the core breaker smallest diameter mounted rearwardly and closely adjacent the kerf cutter having the smallest orbital diameter, and said core breaker of largest diameter mounted immediately rearward of said kerf cutter of largest diameter, and means for rotating said kerf cutters and said core breakers at relatively different speeds, said kerf cutters including cutting elements having at least a certain portion thereof facing generally forwardly.

14. A mineral dislodging and disintegrating mechanism comprising, an elongated support having an axis, at least two kerf cutting means of rearwardly progressively larger diameter mounted for rotation about such axis in spaced planes normal to such axis, at least -two core breaker means of rearwardly progressively larger diameter mounted for rotation about such axis in spaced planes normal to such axis, said kerf cutting and said core breaker means occurring alternately alongsaid support with the kerf cutting means of least diameter being first, said kerf cutting and said core breaker means being formed so that the respective orbits described thereby lie on the surface of cones whose axes are coincident with the axis of said support and with the respective vertices of said cones being coincident with the axis of said support at spaced points, said kerf cutting means including cutting elements having at least a certain portion thereof facing generally forwardly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 990,554 Hirst Apr. 25, 1911 2,677,536 Gleeson May 4, 1954 2,776,823 Barrett Ian. 8, 1957 2,836,408 Barrett May 27, 1958 

